The Thiérache or Grande Thiérache is a region of France and Belgium united by similar geography and architecture, including the presence of hedgerows, grassland, hilly terrain, scattered settlements, and traditionally-built stone or brick houses with stone dividing walls and slate roofs.

Located in the north-east of the Aisne

Aisne

Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...

 department, it also spills over into parts of the Nord

Nord

Nord may refer to:Places:* Nord, California, an unincorporated community in Butte County, California* Nord , a department in northern France* Nord Department , a department in northern Haiti...

 and Ardennes

Ardennes

The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...

 departments and the Belgian provinces of Hainaut and Namur

Namur (province)

Namur is a province of Wallonia, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Walloon Brabant, Liège and Luxembourg in Belgium, and on France. Its capital is the city of Namur...

. Its overall location is the western foothills of the Ardennes massif. Historically its capital was Guise

Guise

Guise is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-Sights:The ruins of the medieval castle of Guise, seat of the Dukes of Guise, are located in the commune.-Miscellaneous:...

, though its largest settlement is now Fourmies

Fourmies

Fourmies is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The inhabitants are called Fourmisiens.-Geography:Fourmies is situated in the Euroregion of Thiérache, a region of Northern France and Southern Belgium. It is from Valenciennes, from Lille, and from Paris...

. It is bisected by the route nationale 2

Route nationale 2

The Route nationale 2 is a route nationale in northern France.-History:The N 2 was initially defined in 1811 as route impériale 2, running from Paris all the way to Amsterdam via Brussels, Antwerp, Breda and Utrecht. The territory north of the present border with Belgium was removed from France in...

 between Paris and Brussels, whilst another important local route is the route nationale 43

Route nationale 43

The route nationale 43 or RN 43 is a French route nationale between Le Piquet and Charleville-Mézières....

 between Cambrai

Cambrai

Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...

 and Charleville-Mézières

Charleville-Mézières

Charleville-Mézières is a commune in northern France, capital of the Ardennes department in the Champagne-Ardenne region. Charleville-Mézières is located on the banks of the Meuse River.-History:...

.